Unfriending right wing friends

[nondrinker1985]

One of my school mum friends of around 10 years has started sharing loads of Restore Britain/Rupert Lowe posts.

I’m actually really shocked as she’s an Irish immigrant herself.

I’ve unfriended her which is a shame as day to day she’s ok. Also another mum who has been liking and commenting on the Restore Britain posts, they’ll probably tell me they’re not racist but I can’t be arsed calling them out.

Why should they? A person's choice of friends is entirely up them, surely? If they don't find someone likeable because they believe in and spread right wing propaganda, it doesn't automatically mean that they have to find anyone who spreads any sort of political views as unlikeable.

Swap a potential fine for a definite charge for health services…sounds about right 🤦‍♀️

Sources for your information please?

Who would cut off Brexiters for their opinion?

You appear to have misread my post.

And you’re posting this because….? Seems you’re not looking for advice - you’ve decided to unfriend her, which is your right, so i’m not sure what the point of your post is.

You are making sweeping statements without any proof.

Nobody I know is doing that.

This change has only just happened. Was suspended last Autumn.

I have no idea what this means and don’t want to know.

Really? Am I now.....

But you’re using the same old lazy argument of labelling those with concerns on immigration as racist. Do you understand that uncontrolled immigration affects every single person already living here, people of all colour and race already UK residents? Or do you automatically assume that someone of a different colour living here isn’t concerned about access to GPs, Dentists, housing? We can’t accommodate any more people coming here. Simple as that really.

Sadly we have become less tolerant in accepting that other people are entitled to their own viewpoints. You have been friends with someone over 10 years but have blocked her because you don’t agree with her politics?

Extensive first hand conversations with asylum seeking men, women and teenagers of both sexes. Plus sitting through appointments where they have had to tell their harrowing stories. Plus hearing from others who are working with these people.

I worked with asylum seekers at one point, and carried on volunteering with them after I left the job. I never saw anyone coaching anyone on what to say, including their lawyers. I did see the impact of their trauma. And I saw the lawyers themselves reduced to tears on a couple of occasions. All I will say is that these people should all be given oscars if they are just making it up. There was the occasional bullshitter for sure. They were easy to spot and they weren't in the majority.

I'm not volunteering right now due to caring responsibilities. However, my dd previously volunteered with the same charity, and now volunteers for a different charity. I am also in touch with former colleagues.

Feel free to dismiss my experience if you like. I can't give you a link to substantiate what I'm saying. But I know what I know, and I also know that a lot of the people voicing opinions about asylum seekers probably haven't spoken to many, if any. There are so many stereotypes and assumptions, and that's all some people see. You get a very different perspective when you actually interact with these people as human beings.

She has not said her friend is not entitled to her viewpoint.

Her friend is entitled to her viewpoints and OP is entitled to decide who she will and will not be friends with.

@JHound of course she is… but there is a growing trend of differing views translating to morality, hence I can’t be friends with someone. I just find it sad tbh.

No they haven't. They can apply under normal family visa rules. Spouse has to earn so many thousands in order to support them and some understanding of English etc. This is the integrating and having people working in the UK that folk want, isn't it? Not a life of benefits.

Whereas the old system was the ability to bring in family as soon as asylum granted with no restrictions.

Do I mind that? No. It's not ideal but something had to be done to deter the economic migrants and people on boats because all they are doing is risking their lives - oh and criminals are making a mint through misery and desperation. I do think people should be allowed to claim for asylum in other hotspot countries, such as France than a dangerous boat.

But that’s not preventing anybody from holding whatever views they wish to hold.

It depends what was posted.?
I detest reform but perhaps some of their posts are ok. I would roll my eyes but suffer it. But if it was populist vile misinformation and importantly if the comments accompanying it were mostly vile and racist then I would judge the friend for sharing the post and the comments.
many comments accompanying gp news articles on immigration are vile for example

yes of course they aren’t responsible for everyone’s comments, but if they share something where the majority of comments aren’t pleasant then I would really judge and v likely unfriend. I would probably challenge them first though

I can’t comment on restore but a quick Google tells me they are more right than reform…

btw@Dappy777 of course reform are right wing, they are proud of it so I can’t see it’s a problem to call their supporters right wing? I don’t think they are far right, and agree that the word is too much used, but they are definitely right wing. Far right is Tommy R and Co onwards imo
tgey are the equivalent on the right to corbyn on the left imo. Who gets called a communist or far left. He’s not

ie people who don't share my own extreme views, extreme left is as bad as extreme right.

Again I will say, about 'Liebour' letting all the boat people in.

Lefties are such virtue signallers… “not left then you’re a racist/facist…”. Oh the irony!

If concern about immigration is deemed to be 'racist' then many many members of 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants would fit that contrived defination. They are descended from people who came to this country and despite facing real racist attitudes worked hard and assimilated.

Do you not think that differing views can reflect major differences in thinking about morality?

Would you be happy to stay friends with someone who kept posting on social media that they think we should legalise paedophilia, for example? Because I wouldn't. Would you still think it was sad if people chose to distance themselves from someone like that?

People will have different boundaries and thresholds for what they are and aren't willing to tolerate in their friends. For me, supporting a far right party or expressing racist/misogynist/homophobic views etc are a red line.

Your own red lines might be drawn in a different place, but I bet you have them.

The left wing woke lack of tolerance for the views of others is fascinating. It's so symptomatic of totalitarianism. The views of vast swathes of the population are attacked by them and characterised as knuckle draggers and stupid rather than reasonable or legitimate.

I read recently that the government has set net zero policies for the procurement of 20000 tonnes of steel for the new lower Thames crossing (billions of pounds of steel) which mean the steel can't be made or supplied in the UK. The government has determined net zero steel is more important than British jobs. It thinks it's woke ideology is more important than british people. Thats the type of woke left wing intolerance we have where ideas and concepts are more important than British workers and British taxpayers.

With left wingers net zero zealots doing that whats the point in being British? Why make anything in the UK if the government creates policies which stop British firms winning? What message does that send to steel makers? Make your steel abroad where power is cheaper, land is cheaper, wages are cheaper, planning laws are less onerous? For the record the government did the same with 3.4bn worth of steel for an offshore wind farm recently - more foreign jobs.

We have the collapse of the chemical industry where we will soon for the first time in over 1000 years not make salt - a key foundational component of chemical industries. We have lost tens of billions in gdp from the collapse of this industry in recent years - driven by net zero. Again British jobs and British people are not important to these intolerant left wing zealots.

Exactly never discuss politics and religion. Just keep it light with friends and try and have a laugh.